Stolen ancient artefacts that are due to be returned to Iraq were displayed at a ceremony in Rome on Wednesday.
Saywan Sabir Mustafa Barzani, Iraq’s ambassador to Italy, viewed the objects at the Iraqi embassy event, which was attended by the head of Italian Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Property, Michele Minetti, and an Italian police representative.
They include vases, fragments of pottery, metal objects and terracotta cones with royal inscriptions commemorating the construction of temple buildings by King Gudea of Lagash (2,200 BC-2,150 BC) and date back to the civilisation of Mesopotamia.
At the ceremony, Mr Barzani expressed his thanks and gratitude to the Italian Antiquities and Heritage Protection Unit for its efforts in returning the artefacts to the embassy.
He also touched on the strong co-operation between Iraq and Italy, especially in the field of heritage and antiquities protection.
The ambassador said Italian authorities were informed that the five pieces had been offered for sale and he praised the embassy's work on following up on the issue.
He said the embassy had received archaeological pieces on five previous occasions, the last of which was in July 2024.
Iraqi authorities have been working to retrieve thousands of archaeological relics looted decades ago from the country that many historians regard as the cradle of civilisation. Recent efforts to track them down have been increasingly successful.
Many artefacts, including ancient stone tablets, were smuggled out of the country in the chaos following the US-led invasion in 2003, when most archaeological sites were left unguarded.
Other smuggling operations date back to the 1990s, when Iraq suffered extreme poverty due to punishing international sanctions, leading to a crime wave that extended to smuggling valuable items of heritage.
In 2018, US arts and crafts chain store Hobby Lobby was fined $3 million after US investigators found some of more than 3,000 clay tablets and seals that had been smuggled out of Iraq had been bought by the shop's managers.
Since then, thousands more items from around the world have been recovered. In 2021, Iraqi and US authorities secured the return of 17,000 ancient objects, including the so-called Gilgamesh Dream Tablet, to Iraq. The 3,600-year-old object contains a section of the ancient Akkadian poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh.
In 2015 the US returned more than 60 Iraqi objects after they were illegally smuggled into the country. They were returned following five separate investigations led by authorities.
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
The five pillars of Islam
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The five pillars of Islam
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5. Zakat
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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